TxDOT reopens Hwy 87 after severe weather, flash flooding

LYNN COUNTY, Texas (KCBD) - Recent storms brought dangerous flooding to Lubbock and neighboring counties, forcing the state to shut down a major highway south of Lubbock.

TxDOT has now safely reopened part of Hwy. 87, a critical roadway for commuters and truck drivers traveling through the area.

The department was still removing flooded cars from the highway days after a storm dropped more than seven inches of rain on Lynn county.

Jerry Nevans was traveling form Midland to Lubbock and told KCBD he had to find an alternate route.

“You can’t go back this way because it’s barricaded,” Nevans said. “Can’t go this way because it’s barricaded.”

The route into Lubbock filled with flooded roads and fields after a week of severe weather moved through the south plains.

According to the National Weather Service, Lynn County measured more than 7 inches of rainfall in just two hours on Thursday.

That water turned roads into rivers, leaving many drivers stranded along Hwy. 87.

“We came around, you can see this back here, you can see multiple roads are under water back there,” Nevans said.

Detours and barricades added time and miles to what is normally a straight shot from Lamesa to Lubbock.

“We’re going from Midland to Lubbock, and we just got to the intersection right there on this side of Lamesa and it’s barricaded,” Nevans said. “So, it says detour and you take the detour and there are no other signs. So we took 179. We cut through here thinking we were far enough past it and we could get through. Now it’s barricaded here, so we’re going to have to backtrack here and see if we can come into Tahoka.”

TxDOT started pumping water off the roadway on Monday morning in an effort to get the highway reopened.

Some residents are making the decision to ignore the barricades. However, this decision could be a costly; if cited, they will be looking at a fine and court costs.

Lynn County Justice of the Peace says it will run those drivers around $200 for the offense.

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